Police at the time said they were aware of the situation, and that it was a teenager who is "developmentally delayed" and wanted to see how people reacted.

Coulrophobia (fear of clowns)

Clowns are supposed to be fun and joyful characters, but some people have an irrational fear – called coulrophobia – of the jokesters, NBC News said. Although the full-blown fear of clowns is quite rare, Business Insider notes, it’s not uncommon for people of all ages to be creeped out.

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Several publications and at least one study, which found clowns are too scary for hospitals, have discussed the fear.

A 2013 piece by Smithsonian Magazine titled “The History and Psychology of Clowns Being Scary” says the jesters may have always been scary – they’ve long been tied with a dark history that includes murder, financial ruin, infidelity and pedophilia.

In 2015, The Telegraph wrote an article about why clowns are so scary, noting the clowns mask is used to hide its true emotions, among other things.